Holly B. is an active professional in her late twenties who spends her free time playing recreational flag football and league basketball. She shares her experience with us as she explores the world of sports.

This week one of the teens I mentor injured her knee. Based on her symptoms, there’s a possibility that it’s an ACL tear, though we won’t know for sure until she has an MRI. She currently plays high school basketball and reminds me a bit of myself when I was her age. She hurt her knee after making a layup and heard a pop when she landed on her feet.

After her injury I had the opportunity to share with her about my own ACL tear experience, and give her advice on her possible ACL injury. Here were some of the tips I gave her:

RICE Method – Like many other injuries, immediate treatment for a knee injury usually begins with the RICE method… rest, ice, compression and elevation. These four things help to minimize swelling and improves the time it takes to get back on your feet again.

Wear a Knee Brace – ACL knee braces help with stability so you don’t injure yourself further. They also make it easier for you to move around. ACL knee braces are also helpful in preventing re-injury, especially supports with technology like the DonJoy Armor Fourcepoint. Its special hinge is proven to help prevent over 50% of non-contact ACL injuries.

See Your Doctor – I think a lot of people try to self-heal at home, but going to the doctor gives you peace of mind. You’ll know whether or not you have torn a ligament and they will lay out all the treatment options. Surgery is not always necessary.

Strengthen Your Muscles – The leg muscles surrounding the knee are a key factor in helping prevent knee injuries from occurring in the first place. Once your doctor gives you the green light to start working out again, go for it! You can even do a session or two of physical therapy and ask the therapist to show you some key strengthening exercises you can do on your own.

I’m not a doctor so if you’ve injured your knee, you should see a physician. These are just some tips shared with me that I passed on to someone going through a similar situation… and so far they seem to have helped!

Holly B. is an active professional in her late twenties who spends her free time playing recreational flag football and league basketball. She recently tore her ACL and will be sharing her experiences with us as she works towards getting back into sports.

Like most accidents, you never think it’s going to happen to you… until it does.

You’re healthy, you’re active – what could go wrong?

That was me before I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) when playing flag football. One moment I was blocking a linebacker, the next moment I was on the ground holding my knee.

I was lucky compared to most people who tear their ACL. I wasn’t in much pain, but I knew that my knee instability would prevent me from playing. What hurt was that it was the third play of first game of the day. But even that wasn’t what hurt me the most. Here’s what really pained me:

That’s right. I had an ACL knee brace in my gym bag but I didn’t wear it because I didn’t think I needed it.

Now it’ll be about a year before I’m playing basketball and football again, after all the orthopedic doctor appointments and surgery recovery. Once I’m back on my feet you can bet that I’ll be wearing a knee brace when playing sports!